The present invention relates generally to a process for manufacturing surface coverings, such as floor and wall tiles, and the products obtained thereby. In one embodiment, the invention relates to rectangular vinyl tiles which have been individually cut, and then routed and mechanically embossed on two adjacent edges to give the appearance, when installed, that each individual tile has grout lines on all of the edges.
Resilient tiles have previously been manufactured which give the appearance of grout lines being provided on all of the edges of the tile. The disadvantage of such prior art resilient tiles, however, is that when a series of these tiles are installed next to each other such as in a flooring application, the seams which result between the edges of the adjacent floor tiles lie in the middle of the grout lines created between each tile. Such seams are readily visible and detract from the effort to provide the realistic appearance of, for example, a ceramic tile floor with actual cementitious grout between the tiles.
In contrast, when a series of tiles of the present invention are installed on a floor or wall, the seams between the individual tiles are less visible than when using resilient tiles of the prior art having grout lines on all of the edges of the tile. This is because the seams between the tiles of the present invention are not in the grout lines themselves but rather adjacent to the grout lines. This creates a more realistic appearance.